Chapter Text
The common room was unusually peaceful.
Izuku sat on the couch with Todoroki and Ochaco while Kaminari and Sero argued over a video game.
Bakugo was sitting in the armchair nearby.
“That’s cheating!”
“It’s not cheating if the game lets me do it!”
“You’re exploiting the controls!”
Kaminari laughed.
“Sounds like a skill issue.”
“Die.”
Sero burst out laughing.
Izuku smiled.
He had missed this.
The noise.
The arguing.
His friends being idiots.
Everything felt normal again.
Ochaco glanced at him.
“You’re smiling.”
Izuku nodded.
“Yeah.”
Bakugo looked over.
“What are you smiling about?”
Izuku looked at him.
“You.”
Bakugo froze.
Kaminari and Sero immediately stopped arguing.
Todoroki raised an eyebrow.
Ochaco covered her mouth.
Izuku realized what he’d said.
His face turned red.
“I mean—”
Bakugo stared at him.
“What?”
“I just…”
Izuku laughed nervously.
“I’m happy.”
Bakugo looked away.
“Idiot.”
Izuku smiled.
“Kacchan.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Bakugo sighed.
“You’re still doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Saying my name for no reason.”
Izuku grinned.
“Maybe I like saying it.”
Kaminari slowly looked at Sero.
Sero slowly looked back.
Ochaco was trying very hard not to laugh.
Todoroki simply smiled.
Bakugo noticed all of them staring.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Kaminari said.
“You’re all acting weird.”
Sero shrugged.
“Can’t imagine why.”
Bakugo narrowed his eyes.
Izuku laughed.
“Leave them alone.”
Bakugo looked at him.
“Why are you defending them?”
“Because they’re my friends.”
Bakugo scoffed.
“Whatever.”
Izuku smiled.
He looked around the room.
Kaminari.
Sero.
Todoroki.
Ochaco.
Bakugo.
His friends.
His classmates.
His home.
For a while, he’d been afraid that something important had been lost forever.
But it hadn’t.
He had remembered.
And even though the whole experience had been frightening, there was one thing Izuku had learned.
Sometimes, memories weren’t the only thing that made people important.
It was the people themselves.
The way they stayed.
The way they worried.
The way they waited.
The way they helped him find his way back.
Izuku smiled.
“Thank you.”
Everyone looked at him.
Kaminari blinked.
“For what?”
Izuku shook his head.
“Everything.”
Ochaco smiled.
“Of course.”
Sero nodded.
“Anytime.”
Todoroki gave him a small smile.
Bakugo crossed his arms.
“Don’t get sentimental.”
Izuku laughed.
“Too late.”
Bakugo rolled his eyes.
“Damn nerd.”
Izuku smiled.
“Love you too, Kacchan.”
The room went silent.
Bakugo’s face turned bright red.
Kaminari’s jaw dropped.
Sero immediately started laughing.
Ochaco covered her mouth.
Todoroki smiled.
Bakugo pointed at Izuku.
“YOU CAN’T JUST SAY THAT!”
Izuku laughed.
“Why not?”
“BECAUSE—”
Bakugo stopped.
He had no answer.
Everyone started laughing.
And Izuku laughed with them.
His memories were back.
His friends were beside him.
And Kacchan was right there.
Everything was finally where it belonged.